The Return
by Ilyenna
Summary: Written for an Attic Quiz challenge. Anomen's POV. Is this the end?


Standard disclaimer, I own nothing related to the BG series, Black Isle, etc.

"Silvanus, what now…" the druid beside him gripped her quarter staff tightly, tan fingers paling against the silvered wood.

Anomen shook his head just barely, but spared no more than a brief glance of concern with Jaheira before turning back to the four figures before them, across a span of… what would you call it? Void? Space? Nether? He studiously did not look down into the empty expanse below. They were here at what he thought was likely the end of it all, the final bloody chapter of a war that had chased them out of Amn, across Tethyr, and now to the edge of the planes…. _again_. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with one part of their company. Beside him stood the closest friends of the last two living Children and here they had fought _one_ more battle, in a place that was neither their own world nor the next. They had fought again for the lives of their friends, for the life of the woman he loved…

"Boo does not understand, we have defeated the naughty priestess, what has the shiny lady to say to our friends we cannot hear?" his large features wrinkled in concern, Minsc leaned in closer to the just barely visible shimmering barrier that surrounded them. A low angry growl from the back of Valygar's throat was his only answer.

They were standing now on a broken slab of rock, supported by… well Anomen didn't really want to think too much about _what_ was supporting them, where the Solar had abruptly transported them after declaring the battle with Melissan to be over. The words she spoke now were for the ears of Lyra and Imoen alone. Three leaps across the span of blackness two women stood before the too bright Solar, servant and messenger of the All Father Ao. Lyra's shoulders were rigid as she looked up at the Solar's beaming face. Anomen could not see her expression, but he knew her face and knew her temper well enough to see it in his mind. His throat constricted as he watched the strange scene unfolding before him. Half her tousled blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders where it had been ripped free of the plait binding it. He longed to reach for it, to smooth the tangled mess from her face, but she was beyond his reach now. His stomach twisted. Blood stained her side and the sleeve of her robe, running free from wounds he'd been given no time to heal before the end was announced to be upon them. Beside Lyra stood her sister, a hand span shorter the copper haired woman was now rocking back on her heels as she often did when she was nervous. They were holding hands. The blood running down Lyra's arm looked almost black against their white fingers. '_Please Helm, don't let this be the end...'_ He knew his prayer was in vain, the Gods could not interfere here.

At their feet Melissan lay broken, perhaps dying. Her body bound by a web of shimmering white light summoned by the Solar. Her face twisted with the bitterness of defeat. The Solar floated before them all her strange face shining white, flickering gold, the over large blue eyes impassive. She raised one open hand toward Imoen and the four companions watching drew a sudden collective breath.

"THE CHOICE IS MADE"

The Solar's voice boomed over them like the crash of a great gong. There was a flash of gold and green light, an audible popping noise, "LEAPING LIZARDS!" and just like that Imoen was standing now with them, one hand clutched to her head, the other to her stomach, reeling in the after effect of a transport spell. "oooohhhh I hate those" she stumbled and Valygar reached out to catch her to him quickly, relief evident in his face.

"Child what is happening?" Jaheira touched Imoen's arm. Anomen felt a roaring in his head and his stomach twisted again. He felt the world slow around him '_No_' he thought '_not enough time, there was more I should have said…_' No promises made, only love expressed and he wondered for the hundredth time if he should have pressed her more. He could hear her voice echoing now in his ears '_What promise can I make when we cannot know what comes. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do love you…_' He imagined he was sinking into the rock beneath his feet and he desperately wanted to hear what Imoen would say next, yet feared with all his heart to hear it.

"Oy" Imoen shook her head and smiled wanly at Valygar, her hazel eyes warm. "Apparently we're being given a choice. Ao's decided enough is enough. Either Lyra and I could try to kill each other" she barked a sharp laugh "one of us could give up the essence and remain mortal while the other…" she frowned "ascends… or both of us can give it up and the essence will be trapped away.. err somewhere.… I'm not really sure how that part works actually, but she said Ao would take it. Anyways, she asked me my choice and I hadn't even barely opened my mouth to answer before BOOM I'm over here with you guys and…" she paused and her face lit up "hey it's gone!" she pressed both hands to her chest with a squeal of delight "I can't feel it anymore! Ohhhhh Lyra…" she turned to the edge of the barrier. "My essence went out, just like before when we ki… when the others died, only I didn't die!"

Lyra was on her knees now, hands clutched to her chest as a swirl of glittering gold surrounded and _entered_ her. She staggered to her feet as it dissipated. They could hear nothing of what she said, but by the angry gesture of her hands and the shaking in her slender frame Anomen thought it was nothing pleasant. He remembered her description of what it felt like each time a Child fell and the essence sought her out as the new vessel. Yaga Shura had been the worst.

The Solar floated unfazed and serene. She was speaking now and gracefully she extended an open palm toward Lyra… Lyra turned and looked over her shoulder. Their eyes met. There was a pounding in his ears, Anomen opened his mouth "Lyra…" he whispered…

"THE CHOICE IS MADE"

His eyes widened, he felt his blood run cold, he heard himself saying "no no no no no" Then all he could see was the green and gold light. Jaheira cursed and he heard the others crying out in surprise. He felt the sharp jerk in his mid section of a transport spell taking hold, the rushing wind of the void closing in around him, and all he could do was scream her name into the blackness.

His feet hit the ground hard and he staggered. He blinked and covered his face, blinded by the sudden return of full mid-day sun. Reeling from the after effect of the spell he let himself fall to his knees. '_This is it then, she's gone_' He felt surely she had gone where he could not follow. Despair welled up inside him. Dimly he heard a string of colorful curses involving monkeys and lizards mostly and knew from the low answering murmur that Imoen and Valygar were near to him. He heard Jaheira's clipped Tethyr accent and Minsc's thick Rashemi, but he did not hear the one voice he wanted to hear more than any. '_I didn't say goodbye, Helm help me how can this be the end?_' they'd had no words for goodbye before that final battle only words assurances of love. No goodbyes, and no promises…. No promises at all… He left his face buried in his hands.

"Anomen… are you… well" He felt Jaheira's hand lightly on his shoulder. He swallowed and drew a ragged breath.

"I... I am my lady, is anyone injured?"

"I do not think so. It would appear everyone was healed before or when we were... transported here"

He forced himself to stand. Valygar had Imoen's face cupped between his hands and although he could not hear the words he imagined he likely knew their content. Jealousy and pain lanced through him as keenly as any knife.

Imoen smiling, her fingers laced through Valygars turned and looked around "Where's…" she frowned, her voice trailing off "Is this… all of us then?" she asked quietly. She looked away from Anomen and stared off into the distance. Jaheira looked sideways at him, the questions in her dark eyes more than he could bear. He looked away. They were on the edge of well traveled dirt road, in what appeared to be south western Amn judging by the terrain. This was likely the coastal road, he thought he could taste salt in the air. They were probably a day outside Athkatla, it was a road he'd travelled many times before in the last year. Many times he'd followed this road with Lyra. She liked the coastal route, she liked being near to the sea. She said it reminded her of home. Memories flashed through his mind, her face framed in pale gold as the sea breeze fanned her hair around her, her eyes sparkling at him across the camp fire at night with the sound of the waves in the distance, her hand in his when she stayed awake through his watch as well talking late into the night… he felt the pain rising again in his chest and wondered how it was that he could still breathe.

"It would appear so child, I do not see Lyra among us. Did you hear nothing of what was said between her and the Solar?"

"No, like I said, the Solar told us our choices, she turned to me first, then, well you saw the rest. I… I didn't think Lyra would go though, I never thought that was what she wanted" Her voice cracked at the end, he thought her eyes had probably filled with tears. He could feel them all staring at his back now.

"Anomen, did she… did she never say to you, what she intended?"

"We didn't speak of it" his voice sounded cold, harsh. He didn't think he was capable of any better, but he winced at the rudeness. This wasn't their fault. If they minded, they didn't let it show.

For several moments they stood there in the sunlight and there was little sound. Only the rustle of the breeze in the tree break. No one seemed to have words in the wake of this abrupt ending. Even Minsc was strangely silent. Imoen looked dazed. Anomen felt sick.

Valygar suggested setting up camp, for lack of another course, till they decided each what was next for them. The clearing they'd landed in seemed as good as any and surely no one felt like deciding what do next right now. All their gear and supplies were here piled near the tree line, how was anyone's guess. The person they would have asked was no longer present, so they accepted it and moved about their normal routine. Anomen couldn't bring himself to more than one or two word answers and he was thankful no one seemed inclined to conversation. He set himself to clearing a space for tents and tried to ignore the presence of the bedroll which would be empty that night.

Imoen asked about firewood. A slew of campfires spent at her side flashed through his mind. He looked into the trees, but saw only her face. He scrubbed his hand roughly through his hair, the urge to throw something _hard_ almost overwhelming him.

Imoen started toward the tree break, Valygar just behind her. Jaheira stared down the road, the lost expression in her face oddly out of place. Minsc spoke quietly to Boo, his normally animated features sad. Then, just like that, there was an audible pop and the clearing filled suddenly with the green and gold light. Anomen felt his mouth fall open.

Imoen was the first to react, her voice shrill and piercing, filling the quiet roadside clearing "LYRA?"

The world went completely still, the blood was rushing in his ears again, and there at the edge of the tree break swaying on her feet was Lyra. Her face pale, her eyes bright. She looked right at him and then… she smiled. She was beautiful. Imoen rushed to her sister's side throwing her arms around her neck "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG YOU BUFFLEHEAD!"

"Oh Im" Lyra pressed her lips to the shorter woman's forehead.

"I knew you wouldn't go, least not without saying goodbye! Wait you're not here to say goodbye are you?" Imoen pulled back, concern etched now on her face. Lyra laughed. "No Im, I'm not going anywhere…"

He was across the clearing without even knowing how, dimly he knew the others to be present, but all he could see was her. She gave a glad cry and leapt from her sister's arms toward him. He caught her tightly, fingers tangled in her hair

"_Lyra, Lyra, Lyra, Lyra" _he murmured her name over and over again clinging to her as if she might disappear and he realized she was crying.

"Lyra…" he breathed her name tracing the tears across her cheek with one calloused thumb. "You came back."

"I'm so sorry, so sorry, I didn't know, I thought one of us would have to go, or that we'd both have to die for it to end, I didn't know it could end like this, I didn't know…"

"Why do you apologize love, you are here, I could not ask for more" at that her eyes went distant. She looked away. She looked back.

"You did once" she whispered. He felt his pulse quicken, he had not dared to hope for that. It hurt enough to set it aside the first time.

She tilted her head slightly and looked away, something wild and dark dancing in her blue eyes. "I'm free now, I saw… I saw what I could do, if I… went" His arms tightened reflexively at the mention and she gave a watery laugh. "But I couldn't go, I just couldn't and then she took it away… it's gone now and I… it felt like" her voice broke and he pulled her tighter still. She was shaking. "I never thought I'd have a choice" she was whispering now "but I did, and I… I chose… to live, and I… I chose you… if you still want me". She pulled away and looked up at him now.

And then his lips were on hers and she was sighing his name against his mouth, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" Imoen grinned.

"Oh joyous day! little Lyra is back safe with her friends, now we can celebrate a victory the greatest warriors of Rasheman would envy! Minsc is confused why little Lyra cries, but Boo says that this is what happens at happy endings".

"Yes, yes, yes you are overcome with happiness to be reunited and alive. Kindly save the rest of your demonstration of affection for each other until later, there are others here who are happy to see you as well you know!" Jaheira tapped one foot impatiently, but her smile removed any sting from her words.

They broke apart laughing and reluctantly, Anomen released her into Jaheira's waiting arms.

"Child, I am glad to see you whole and _human_. I… I would have missed you."

"Thank you Jaheira, for everything. I could never have survived this without you".

"Oh go on you" Jaheira pushed her gently away, her eyes looking suspiciously bright. "But you are welcome" she whispered almost too quiet to catch.

"But, what took you so long?" Imoen voiced the question lingering in the air "We'd been here for _ages_ before you showed up!" Jaheira rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. It occurred to Anomen now that it had really only been 10 minutes or so.

"Oh well…" Lyra's cheeks reddened slightly. "It's not as simple as it sounds now is it, just choose to give it all up, takes a bit longer when you're the last and I had uh.. some questions I wanted answered, but anyways you see, oh forget it, but didn't someone say something about making camp?"

"No actually no one did, at least not since you've been here" Jaheira said dryly.

Anomen did not let her stray far outside his reach the rest of that day and into the evening. He could not quite shake the feeling that she might not be real, that this was a cruel dream, and any moment she might simply look at him, say goodbye, and be whisked out of his reach. But Lyra showed no inclination to go far from his side. They were resting now at the edge of the clearing, their friends doing much the same or sometimes not. Conversations were loose, there was no impending danger, no sense of urgency, nothing but the sigh of the breeze in the trees. He was leaning against a wide oak and Lyra lay sprawled beside him, her head resting against his thigh. He had one hand tangled in her hair, loose now, and he trailed long strands across his lap. She held his other hand between hers and absentmindedly she traced the Delryn crest on his signet ring with one pale finger. He thought of another ring he'd offered her once, and would again soon he thought, but for now he was content just to sit and lace his fingers through her hair, watching her face in the waning evening light. She was there with him. Right now that was enough.


End file.
